


Happy Family

by snarkysweetness



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adult Adoption, F/M, Found Families, Gen, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-27
Updated: 2014-12-27
Packaged: 2018-03-03 19:29:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2880980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkysweetness/pseuds/snarkysweetness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skye has come to learn that your family is not the one you’re born into but made of the people you chose; but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to make it official.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Family

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays!

“So…the kids are all off to bed-“

“Pretty sure Hunter and Bobbi are off desecrating more of your things,” Melinda interrupted mid-sip. She’d been lazily nursing her seventh Scotch-laced eggnog for the past ten minutes, too relaxed to move from the crook in Phil’s side.

Phil made a face, clearly not enjoying the thought of two of the kids fornicating on his base, especially not in one of the vehicles again. He didn’t know how they though they’d get away with it; there were cameras everywhere and Skye enjoyed scrolling through the footage. That had been a dark day for her (and Phil’s bank account when she’d bought over three hundred dollars in disinfecting products for the backseat of her favorite hiding spot).

Since then they’d been caught in nearly every inch of the base, going at it like rabbits. No one was sure if they just couldn’t control themselves or if the thrill of being caught turned them on but Phil went through a lot more Scotch than he would ever admit to these days.

“As I was saying, they’re all gone, maybe we should-“

“I don’t feel like cleaning,” Melinda muttered, closing her eyes. She wasn’t sure how she’d wound up wedged between him and the couch cushion but she liked it-a _lot_. And she was just drunk enough to ignore why she shouldn’t and show him just how much.

Phil pinched the bridge of his nose, his glass empty. “Would you just let me finish a se-“ He sighed and turned to her, placing one arm around her shoulders. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she knew it wasn’t because of the alcohol.

He stared down at her and she recognized that he was nervous. His fingers were drumming along her shoulder, he’d begun gnawing on his cheek, and he looked confused; as if he’d forgotten whatever speech he’d cooked up in his head and was now trying to find his words.

“Phil?”

“I um-well…you look very nice-not that you don’t always, I mean-you know, I’m a lot better at this but it’s you and-“

She perked up, trying not to seem as smug as she felt, and sat up just enough to pull him down by his tie.

“Phil?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up and kiss me already.”

He sighed in relief before giving her one of his adorable puppy smiles. “But what if one of the kids-“

She glanced up with a smile, thankful that Skye had roped the other kids into her scheme to get them together (as if it would escape her notice). “We’re under mistletoe.”

He didn’t bother to glance up and instead leaned down to do the one thing she’d been waiting for him to do for over twenty years: kiss her.

Only Melinda never seemed to get her way.

A creak filled the air and Melinda shot up, not wanting to be caught making out with Phil on the couch like a teenager; especially not by Skye. Melinda had recognized the sound her boots made when she shuffled her feet and she was about to scold her for being detected when she saw the look on Skye’s face.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, getting to her feet.

“Don’t,” Skye insisted, clutching a wrapped gift in her hands. “I just…” She looked between them, held the gift tighter, to the point where her knuckles went white, and shook her head. “I’m sorry…I interrupted-“

“We were just about to clean up, Skye, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Phil insisted, worry lining his voice. Neither of them had seen her like this in well over a year. This wasn’t Skye. She was nervous, unsure of herself, the way she had been in the beginning; back when she’d just been an innocent kid on a desperate search for a family.

She wasn’t a kid anymore, not really, and she had a family; as far as Melinda was concerned anyway.

She’d never consented to pseudo-adopting a bunch of fully grown agents but here she was and she wouldn’t change a thing.

Melinda knew she wasn’t the nurturing type but it didn’t stop her from wanting to reach out and comfort Skye. “What’s wrong?”

Skye was still fidgeting, very subtly rocking from foot to foot and Melinda knew she’d been working up the courage to see them. Her cheeks were slightly pink which meant she’d rushed in before she could change her mind and now she was regretting it.

Melinda didn’t know what was on the younger girl’s mind but now she was worried.

“Skye?”

“It’s…nothing…just…it’s stupid, I’ll um let you two get back to um-“ Skye’s eyes flickered to the mistletoe for a brief second before meeting Melinda’s eyes again. “ _Cleaning_.”

“Sit,” Melinda commanded. Skye knew better than to think she’d get off easy on this.

Skye pouted for a moment but when Phil patted the seat next to him and held out a hand she sighed and allowed him to pull her onto the couch. Melinda joined them and stared at her, waiting for her to spit it out.

“I um…” Skye sighed and sat back, allowing herself to melt into the cushion and Melinda had to admit that Skye looked adorable sandwich between them like a child. “Here,” she whispered, holding the package out hesitantly. She avoided their eyes for a moment, until Phil gently took it from her. She slowly glanced up, meeting   his gaze and gnawed on her cheek. “Please don’t be mad.”

“Why would I-“

“I was thinking about my name,” Skye began quickly, cutting him off. “And how I only chose a first name because I didn’t belong to anyone. Not belong-I mean…I never had a family or a name to inherit and I didn’t want to give that to myself, I wanted that to be something I…I don’t know, _earned_ , found…something and then I met Cal-“

Melinda instinctively took Skye’s hand, giving it a squeeze. She said nothing but Skye gave her a small smile filled with gratitude. She gave her a nod to continue and Skye swallowed back her nerves and spoke again.

“I realized that I didn’t want to know him and it wasn’t because of what he is, though it’s a factor, but it’s because…” Skye looked between them with a shy smile. “I’d already found a family,” she whispered with a small shrug. “I’d stopped looking for answers without realizing it and it was because it was never really about finding my birth parents, it was just…I always wanted to be wanted, to find a place that was a good fit and…” Skye made a face, holding back tears. “Anyone else would have turned their backs on me but you didn’t.”

“And we never will,” Melinda said firmly, beating Phil to the punch.

Skye smiled and wiped her eyes. “I know. That’s why I decided on a last name…if it’s okay with the two of you.”

“Why would you need-“ but this time it was Phil doing the cutting off.

“Skye, where did you find these?” He whispered.

She blushed and began drumming her fingers on her leg nervously. “This is why you can’t get mad. I wasn’t snooping, I promise. I just um…well, I may have been working at your desk and I accidentally knocked over my tea and well, your Captain America comic may have been near it and-“

“That is a first edition! Written after he ‘died’!”

Skye flinched and Melinda shot Phil a cold, hard glare.

“I know! And it’s fine! _But_ in my rush to clean it I _may_ have knocked some paperwork around and…I saw my name and got curious and…” she shrugged. “I just…it felt nice to feel wanted.”

Melinda knew exactly what she’d found and a moment later her suspicions were confirmed when she snatched the paperwork out of his hand. She’d only gone along with it to humor Phil and okay, _maybe_ because deep down she knew that while a piece of paper wouldn’t change how she felt it would mean the world to Skye. And as much as she’d fought it at first Skye’s happiness had become her number two priority; second only to keep her and the rest of their little family safe.

She’d never admitted it out loud but she loved that girl the way she’d always imagined loving the daughter she had never allowed herself to have. She’d used to think no child deserved to have someone as broken as her as a mother and that she’d be terrible at it anyway; but now…well, Skye had proved her wrong.

“Skye-“

“I filled out my parts and filed it, thinking it’d be a good holiday present but then you never mentioned anything and-“

Phil took her hand and met her eyes. “Skye, we were going to discuss it with you but then you found out your father was alive and we weren’t sure you would want to go along with it. And we didn’t want to pressure you or make you even more confused than you already were.”

She smiled. “And that’s why I would never want anyone but the two of you to be my parents; you’ve always put me first. He never did that. If he had he would have never left me.”

Skye was full-on crying now and Melinda couldn’t fight back the urge anymore; she pulled Skye into her arms and cradled her head against her chest, whispering soothing tones to calm her. “We’re never letting you go, Skye,” she promised, knowing that no matter how much she put on a brave face the little girl with abandonment issues was still in there.

Skye wrapped her arms around Melinda’s middle and choked back sobs. Melinda stroked her hair gently. “Shh, it’s okay, Skye. It’s his loss. He doesn’t deserve you.” If it wouldn’t break Skye’s heart she would love to kill her father for abandoning her to a life of pain and loneliness. Skye deserved the world and Melinda knew they could never erase her childhood but they could stick by her for the rest of her life and that would have to be good enough. 

Melinda felt Phil’s arms wrap around her and she met his eyes over Skye’s head. She wanted to laugh. He’d been her best friend since she was eighteen years old. He was her soulmate and had been the love of her life until the girl in their arms had crashed into their lives. They had never had good timing, she’d married Andrew, he’d found Audrey, and they’d somehow avoided admitting their feelings for years. And yet despite managing to avoid falling into bed with one another they’d somehow wound up with a daughter who was equal parts dorky, temperamental Phil and determined, fierce, loyal Melinda.

Her mother was right; life was a constant surprise.

Melinda glanced at the approved adoption papers in her lap and raised a brow at Skye’s new-or maybe first-birth certificate.

“Why did you pick that last name?”

“I was wondering that too.” Phil whispered, kissing the top of Skye’s head.

Skye broke away from them and wiped at her eyes. “Do you like it? I know it should have just been Coulson…or May or…I mean I don’t know what you two were thinking when you decided you wanted to adopt me but I thought combining your last names would be best and this seemed cooler than May-Coulson.”

A smirk tugged on Melinda’s lips.

“Well, _Agent_ Mason, I think you made a good choice.” Phil teased, trying not to seem as excited as he was. Melinda had thought he was high when he’d come to her with adoption papers saying he wanted to give Skye what she’d always wanted; parents. But he’d been so genuinely happy at the idea that it was contagious so she’d filled them out, thinking they’d never actually get around to discussing it with her.

She hadn’t counted on Skye finding said papers and sending them in but she was glad she had; Skye was already hers so what was the harm in making it official?

Besides, maybe Phil would finally make a move now that they had a kid.

Skye’s blush deepened and reached for her birth certificate timidly. “So…you’re not mad I went ahead and did this without saying anything?”

Melinda and Phil shared a look before smiling. “No, that’s totally something your mom would do,” Phil teased and when Skye’s face lit up at the word ‘mom’ Melinda knew signing those damn papers was the best thing she’d ever done in her life. 

“Don’t listen to your dad; he would have done it and given you a stupid last name like ‘Rogers’.”

“Skye Rogers is an amazing name, Melinda.” She rolled her eyes. “Hey, do you think we could talk Steve into being her godfather?”

“Doesn’t he think you’re dead?”

“What better way to tell him I’m not? ‘Hello, Steve, I’m alive and here’s my daughter-‘”

“You’re an idiot.” Melinda hadn’t smiled like this in years but she couldn’t help it. She was in love with the dorkiest man on the planet and Skye was practically beaming light she was so happy. When the floor began vibrating Melinda knew it was Skye’s powers threatening to burst forth due to her emotions so she took her head and helped her to her feet.

“It’s getting late, you should get to bed. If you think his Hanukkah celebrations are exhausting wait until you see what he has in store for Christmas Day.”

Phil tapped Skye’s nose playfully with his finger and she scrunched it up cutely. “The first one up gets a second present,” he teased.

“Something tells me this isn’t how Fury was as a director.”

“No, I’m much cooler.”

Skye rolled her eyes but continued to smile. “Whatever you say, D.C.”

“Merry Christmas, Skye,” Melinda said but she meant ‘bed, now’.

Skye nodded and headed for the stairs. She paused and turned back, her hand on the staircase which was now shaking lightly. “Goodnight…mom…dad.”

Melinda knew she was trying it out, to make sure it felt right.

And it was.

“Night, baby girl,” she whispered.

“Goodnight, princess.”

Skye smiled and ran down the stairs. Once she was out of view Melinda turned to Phil with a sigh. “’Princess’? She’s a grown woman, Phil.”

“What?” He asked with a shrug. “I have twenty-seven years of daddy-daughter time to make up for.”

She was in love with the dumbest director of S.H.I.E.L.D. alive.

“Phil; stop talking,” she muttered before pulling him down by the scruff of the neck. She didn’t even have to look for the mistletoe; she knew it was there. That daughter of theirs was relentless in her attempts to get them to finally admit their feelings and ‘bang’ as she’d so eloquently put it to Hunter one day.

Honestly; when would that girl learn that her mother saw and heard everything?

“About bloody time.”

Melinda didn’t care that somewhere between her finally kissing Phil and Hunter interrupting they’d wound up against the table with her legs wrapped around his waist and his hand up her shirt-she wasn’t moving.

She shot a glare in Hunter and Bobbi’s direction and wasn’t sure what annoyed her more; the fact that there were dirt and leaves in Bobbi’s hair meaning they’d snuck off base to hump like teenagers or the fact that Bobbi was hitting ‘send’ on her phone after snapping a picture.

“YES!” Skye screamed followed by a rumbling through the floor.

Melinda sighed; the mini-earthquake was nowhere near as bad as realizing the ‘kids’ really were overgrown children that she was stuck with whether she liked it or not.

“To bed; you know, the only place the two of you seem to not want to roll around in together,” she scolded.

“You’re one to ta-“ Bobbi shot Hunter a ‘don’t’ look and he stammered for a moment. “Um…goodnight…May…Sir.” He took Bobbi’s hand and pulled her down towards the bunks but not before Bobbi sent a wink their way while mouthing ‘nice’ and motioning towards her chest.

Melinda glanced down and realized part of her top was unbuttoned.

The man worked fast.

“Should we go-“

“Your office?” She finished, reaching for his tie.

Phil leaned down and rested his forehead against hers, giving her what Jemma would refer to as an ‘eskimo’ kiss. “You read my mind.”

“Hmm,” she whispered, pulling him closer with a coy smile. “Or we could stay here and teach the kids a lesson about keeping it to their bedrooms.”

“I love the way you think,” he muttered as he kissed her and pressed her further into the table. Melinda was pretty sure there was a candy cane digging into her ass but she didn’t care. Phil Coulson wasn’t as naked as she needed him to be and ridding him of his belt was all that mattered.

The room suddenly shook violently followed by yelling.

“MOM! DAD! I EAT AT THAT TABLE!”

“Is there anywhere on this base without camera feeds for her to hack into?” Phil muttered grumpily.

“Who cares? She’s old enough to turn the damn computer off and avoid being traumatized.”

And that would forever be known as the Christmas that the happy family became official and the last time Skye monitored the security feed.


End file.
